Officials from the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., and other leading experts will gather Monday, April 4, at the University of Central Florida to discuss how the two countries can work together to overcome those challenges.
“U.S. and China: What Does the Future Hold?” is the spring Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government symposium. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be from 8:40 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union on UCF’s East Orlando campus.
This symposium topic stems from a trip that former U .S. Rep. Lou Frey and four other former members of Congress took last year to China. The group visited three universities, met with leaders in the ministries of Commerce and Foreign Affairs and toured several high-tech companies, among other places.
“How the U.S. and China work together, or don’t, will be one of the major factors in world stability over the next decade,” Frey said. “The U.S. has only 20,000 students studying in China, and very few schools in the U.S. teach the Chinese language, culture and history. Hopefully, symposiums such as ours will help interest and educate our future leaders about China.”
Morning sessions will focus on how to bridge the cultural divide, the two countries’ interdependent economies and how the United States and China can work together in an age of terrorism and nuclear proliferation. An afternoon panel will cover foreign policy and how the countries can understand and address their respective core national interests.
Deng Hongbo, deputy chief of mission at the Chinese Embassy, will give the keynote address, “The Most Important Relationship in the World: Reasons and Prospects for a Chinese-American Partnership,” at 1:30 p.m.
Other speakers include Liu Xiang, second secretary of the Chinese Embassy’s Education Office; Ruan Zongze, minister counselor of the Chinese Embassy; and Dan Wright, president and chief executive officer of the Greenpoint Group.
The Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government is a nonpartisan organization affiliated with the UCF Department of Political Science. The institute promotes civic education and engagement, particularly among young people. Institute programs encourage informed discussion of issues from diverse viewpoints, stimulate participation in the political process and support research on politics and policy.
Frey, the institute’s founder, represented Central Florida in Congress from 1969 to 1979. He has received the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress’ Distinguished Service Award for his efforts to improve civic education and encourage young people to be more actively involved in their government.
Sponsors for the symposium include the Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed law firm; the UCF Department of Political Science; the UCF College of Sciences; the UCF Foundation; the UCF Global Perspectives Office; the United States Association of Former Members of Congress; the U.S. Department of Education; the Florida Chamber of Commerce; Mears Transportation Group; Teachers First; and The Flemming Foundation.
For more information, including a full schedule for the symposium, go to www.loufrey.org